Thursday, January 17, 2008

Effective this month, Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District buses instead are driving – and stopping – along Goodwin Avenue, one block to the east, instead of the stretch of Mathews south of Green to Nevada Street. Mathews is the first north-south street east of the Quad.

The new stops are on Goodwin Avenue, one block east of Mathews. In 2009 the city of Urbana is planning to update Goodwin Avenue, between Clark Street and Gregory Drive, to make it more friendly to pedestrians, bicyclists and bus users.

I agree with the University's and the MTD's reason for moving the routes, but one thing that didn't make it into the story is that the bus stops along Goodwin have been re-arranged, with what appears to be a net loss of stops. This atually does make sense - as there's more or less double the number of busses stopping along the street, having all of them move and then stop every hundred feet would drastically slow down traffic. The new stops, which have large clearances on the street to pull out of traffic, are well marked. The problem is that the MTD is relying on its bus drivers to tell riders, mostly students but some faculty/staff too, that certain stops are being discontinued, and that's it. Those busses are usually crowded, at least at peak times, so having the drivers tell the passengers is a less than ideal solution. What the MTD should do is make some laminated signs and post them at the old stops to tell riders that they can't catch a bus there anymore. This'll ease the transition, since relying on word of mouth is rather unreliable.

Also, since all the buses are gone from Matthews, UIUC needs to move the University Stop. It's an important and functional part of the university's heritage, and, seriously, no one's going to sit there now without the buses coming by.

From where I work, the loop was really handy for when I had to go into the greater campus area. Plus, I had the general schedule memorized, so I could bust out the door and be on that bus without having to stand around in the cold/rain. Oh, well.